Invasion
by bulletproofweeks
Summary: “I told him he was going to die and he just stared blankly back at me…there-there wasn’t even a flicker of emotion in his eyes…he didn’t even seem human.” House/Wilson Slash, Cameron/Chase, Drama, Romance, Suspense, Angst, Sci-Fi, Action, Discontinued
1. The Patient

Title: Invasion

Author: regnerischhimmel

Pairings: House/Wilson, Cameron/Chase

Point of View: James Wilson (for the most part)

Summary: "I told him he was going to die and he just stared blankly back at me…there-there wasn't even a flicker of emotion in his eyes…he didn't even seem human."

Inspired by the black and white film, _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_, the 70's remake, _Invasion_, and the most recent remake, _Invasion_ starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman.

**You can still read this even if you haven't seen the movies and if you have, then you may know where I am going with this, but this is definitely not a parallel to the series. The plot idea was merely inspired by the movies. **

**Please read, review, and enjoy!**

Chapter 1: The Patient

Life at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital is as usual...that is until House meets his newest patient.

"-but that's not even the best part!" House exclaimed excitedly. I couldn't help rolling my eyes. _And House thinks that __**I **__gossip too much?_

"It gets worse?" I asked in disbelief. _Okay, maybe I do gossip too much. _House smirked before continuing.

"She-…"

"Dr. House?" House turned his blue eyes away from me to the door of his office. I, of course, turned around to see the dead man walking. _I can only imagine what House is going to say to him, let along do to him. _Very few souls are stupid enough to barge into _House's _office._ Only Cuddy and I can get away with that…and maybe the occasional underling. _

Standing in the doorway was a thin, dark haired man with green eyes. He was in his thirties and was wearing a black suit. The strangest thing about him was the lack of expression in his eyes. Just looking at him forced shivers down my spine, but I couldn't be sure why. _There's something about him._

"Well, that _is_ what it says on the door…unless you're a lawyer. In that case, he's not here right now." House replied roughly, hoping the intruder would leave. The man ignored the rudeness and stepped forward.

"I am not a lawyer. I am sick and need medical treatment," he said casually as if he was commenting on the weather.

"That may explain why you're in a hospital." House said sarcastically, glancing over at me momentarily before continuing, "you better be dying of something really interesting." He stated bluntly. The man wasn't affected by his comments and House seemed surprised by this. I found it odd too. Any normal person would show at least some reaction. _Maybe it's a symptom? Either that, or House has met a person who is not affected by anything he says? _I had to hold a smile back at that thought.

After what seemed to be a staring contest, House spoke again. "So…what's up? Vomiting blood? Embarrassing rash? Don't worry, Jimmy here won't tell. I might, but-"

"Extreme abdominal pain." He interrupted calmly. House and I both raised our eyebrows skeptically before sharing another look.

"Oh really? If your _'abdominal pain'_ is so_ 'extreme'_ then you would be screaming on the floor right now." House frowned. He hates when people waste his time, especially when there is juicy gossip to be told. "If you want drugs, scam the clinic downstairs. Preferably when I'm not there." He added. Yet again, the man stared blankly at us without the slightest expression.House paused and just stared back at the man, slightly puzzled. _House noticed it too._ I'm not sure what we noticed, but there was definitely something wrong with the man.

"I do have abdominal pain and I am not on drugs." He stated in the same monotone voice. "Please give me an MRI." House just stared for a minute waiting for the man to break out laughing or something, but he didn't.

"Wow, you're like a robot!" House remarked with an amused grin. "If you want an MRI, go find a nurse and leave me be. Dr. Wilson and I need to finish our talk about who's cheating with which cross-dresser. Plus, you're obviously not in that much pain if you're standing up straight without so much as a grimace." The man's lack of emotion was interesting, but House's annoyance with the man superceded his curiosity. He turned back to me hoping the man would take the hint, but, of course, _that would be too easy._

"I want someone experienced doing it and you are one of the best diagnosticians in the country." The man replied. "My name is Harris Grant. Where should I wait?"

"Fine, Terminator, you can sit and wait in the conference room until one of my ducklings finds you." House ordered with a final death glare. Harris finally left and took a seat at the table in the neighboring room. Before I could say anything about it, House started, "she turned out to be a lesbian who likes men in dresses, who knew? Do they have a name for that?"

"Wait, wouldn't that make her bisexual?" I asked as if the conversation had never been disrupted.

"No it means she likes cheating with men who wear women's clothes." House said with a childish smile. "And people think I'm screwed up?"

* * *

House gave me a look of pure innocence as he succeeded in stealing another French fry. "Seriously, if you want I can buy you something? I'd rather you eat off your own plate than mine." I argued with no hope of a straightforward answer.

"But I'm not hungry." He whined before stealing another fry. He always knows how to push my buttons. I sighed in defeat.

"So, how's your patient?" I asked trying to start a conversation.

"We're about to find out." He replied, seeing Cameron and Chase walk into the cafeteria. They walked directly to our table and from the look on their faces the news wasn't good. "And?" House asked impatiently.

"He's dying." Cameron replied sadly.

"I already knew that, but how and why is he dying?" House asked rolling his eyes as if this was common knowledge.

"He's Wilson's patient now. He has severe pancreatic cancer. The tumors are inoperable." Chase declared with a similar tone of voice. House turned to me with interest.

"So I guess he wasn't lying about the pain…interesting." House said more to himself than me.

"Maybe he just wasn't in pain when he was admitted." I reasoned. It made perfect sense. As usual, House was looking too far into things.

"Either that or he _is_ on drugs. That explains the strange behavior." House replied.

"What does it matter now?" Chase butted in. "He's going to die and there's nothing we can do about it." _Great, another dying patient…_

"I'll tell him." I sighed. _Sometimes I wonder why I chose oncology._

"No, _I'll_ tell him." House offered. Well less offered, more demanded. I normally would have asked why, but I didn't want to jeopardize the offer if it meant that I had one less patient to break the news to. I should've realized that Cameron wouldn't be able to hold back the question as easily.

"Why?" She asked quizzically.

"Curiosity," House stated simply as if it explained everything and with that he grabbed his cane and left the cafeteria.


	2. 14 Letter Word

Chapter 2: 14 Letter Word

I didn't see House the rest of the day; of course, I wasn't exactly looking for him. I was swamped with paperwork and was glued to my chair in hopes of finishing it all, but by eight o'clock, I found myself looking up at my door every two minutes in hope of a distraction. When it didn't come, I filed away the many blue folders and left my office, coat in hand.

Before heading to the elevator, I decided to make a stop at House's office. It wasn't that I missed seeing him…I just wanted to see-_oh_ _what the hell, I just want to see him, _I reasoned with myself.

In the past few weeks, I've been practically living in House's office, not to mention the fact that I practically live at his apartment when I'm not at work. Actually when I really think about, I don't actually have any other friends anymore. Everyone always remarks on how I'm House's only friend, but in truth, he's the only friend I have too. I always push away these thoughts because they tend to depress me or scare me if I begin to think too much into them.

I couldn't help, but feel disappointed when I found that House wasn't in his office. Chase and Cameron were in the conference room next door. Chase was sitting in a chair, his feet propped up on the table, while Cameron stood at the white board drawing what looked like hangman. _House must not be busy with a case…maybe he's in the clinic._ Instead of starting a search party for him, I entered the conference room.

C ... ­C ... O S ­­P O ... I ... S I S

"-Oh come on, I'm practically giving it away! The symptoms include cramps, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, low-grade fever, and fatigue. Plus, it's a waterborne disease!" Cameron laughed at the confused look on Chase's face.

" Um…well, it starts with a C…so…**cryptosporidiosis**?" Chase said with a shrug. He tried to act casual, but he couldn't hide his frustrated expression. Cameron laughed again.

"Wrong! Maybe we should send you back to med school." She beamed. "First off, that's 17 letters, not 14, and secondly, cryptosporidiosis causes bloating and loss of weight. Not to mention diarrhea." Chase frowned.

"It was a close guess and I can't be expected to remember every disease I learned in med school!" Chase complained, throwing his hands in the air in defeat.

"Yeah, tell that to House." Cameron replied, rolling her eyes.

"Is it **cyclosporiasis**?" I broke in, my eyes staring at the white board intently. The two doctors hadn't noticed my presence. Cameron's expression was completely surprised and Chase nearly fell out of his chair. I smiled in amusement.

"U-um, yeah, you're right." Cameron stated, recovering from her evident surprise.

"Maybe I should've become a diagnostician. Do you think I could get Chase's job?" I smirked. Cameron only laughed while Chase turned toward me with a frown. "Have either of you seen House?"

"I think he's in the X-ray room, looking over our patient's MRI…again." Cameron replied uncertainly.

"Which patient? You mean the guy with pancreatic cancer?"

"Yup." Chase added, returning his feet to the table.

"Why?" I asked with genuine curiosity. _House already diagnosed him…why would he be obsessing over a patient that has already been diagnosed?_ Both doctors shrugged in unison before returning to there game. I left the conference room, only to run into Cuddy.

Before I could say anything, she asked, "Have you seen House?" I shook my head. "He owes me clinic hours and I know for a fact that he already diagnosed Mr. Grant." She stated, more to herself than to me.

"I haven't seen him, sorry." I replied sincerely. I probably could have told her where he was, but I decided I would give House a break. After all, the last thing House needs is a game of 20 questions with Cuddy.

"Well, when you see him, tell him to report to clinic duty." She added before walking away, her heels echoing down the hall. I shook my head tiredly. I really wasn't in the mood to lecture House, so I opted to head home (my hotel room).

* * *

I got out of my car and stared at the building. Somehow I had driven, not to my hotel, but to House's apartment. I was tempted to get back in my car and correct the error, but instead, I resolved to stay at House's tonight. He never seemed to mind too much. I walked up to the door and pulled out my key. I'm not even sure Stacy had had a key to House's apartment and she had lived there! That thought made me smile, though I wasn't entirely sure why.

I walked inside, half expecting House to be on the sofa with a beer for me, but the apartment was empty. I sighed and sat down on the couch. Normally I would have stayed up and watched some T.V., but tonight I was overwhelmed with exhaustion.

I was asleep in less than a minute.


	3. Pagers

**I hope people like this story! It is definitely a break from the usual and it's a lot of fun to write! I live for comments! The more reviews, the faster the updates!**

Chapter 3: Pagers

The sound of a revving motorcycle echoed through the apartment and woke me from my peaceful slumber. _Wait…slumber? Motorcycle?_ I sat up quickly. It took me a moment to realize where I was and once I did, I also discerned that the motorcycle I had heard from before wasn't House's.

Speaking of House, there was no sign of him. _Did he not come home last night?_ "Nah, he's probably just asleep." I mumbled to myself. _But if he did come home, why didn't I hear him and why didn't he wake me?_ I pushed the thought from my mind. _House never pulls all-nighters if he can help it._

I looked down at my scraggly clothes. _Great, I fell asleep in my work clothes._ I hadn't even had time to loosen my tie or take off my shoes. I stood up, and made my way to House's bedroom in search of my spare clothes. When I got there, I found the bed empty…and untouched for that matter.

* * *

The hospital seemed as usual when I walked in. I wasn't sure why I was expecting it to be any different. The fact that House had stayed at the hospital all night worried me greatly. I tried to brush it off, but it kept coming back.

I didn't even consider stopping at my office as I walked straight to the Diagnostics department. When I arrived, all three of the ducklings were sitting at the table in the conference room, but House was nowhere to be seen. In my alarm, I burst into the conference room with more than enough force, almost smashing the glass divider. The two doctors looked up at me in shock.

"Oh, um, sorry." I stated with an embarrassed expression. _Jimmy, stop worrying._ "Have you guys seen House?" I rushed the words out of my mouth. Chase and Cameron looked at each other.

"Um, he doesn't normally get in this early…" The Aussie answered as if it was a well-known fact, which it was. House never gets in this early, unless he never left. Both doctors were still in shock from the normally calm Wilson's outburst.

"He didn't go home last night." I answered, worry now evident in my voice.

"How would you-?" Cameron began, but I interrupted, knowing her question.

"I went to his place last night and he wasn't there."

"Maybe he arrived after-" Chase began, but once again, I rushed in a reply.

"No, he didn't show up all night and he wasn't there this morning."

"Wait, you stayed at House's place _all night_?" Cameron asked suspiciously with a raised eyebrow. I sighed, placing my head to my forehead in frustration.

"Can anyone just answer my question?" I snarled slightly. I could feel a headache coming on.

"I-I haven't seen him since lunch yesterday." Cameron answered, taken back by my erratic behavior. She looked at me as if I was a puzzle piece that wasn't fitting into place. I frowned at this. She was about to continue, when a series of pagers went off, including mine. We all looked at each other before we all picked up our pagers.

"Lockers. Now. Hurry." I read the message out loud. To my relief, the message was from House, but then again, the page made no sense. "I guess he wants us to go to the locker room." I said, already half way out the door.


	4. Believe Me

**House is out-of-character, but with good reason. **

Chapter 4: Believe Me

I walked down the hall with the two ducklings close behind me. At my rushed pace I nearly ran over an elderly woman. "Excuse me." I said quickly and hurried without another glance at he woman who only kept walking, impassive to the near collision. The ducklings continued behind me, staring wide-eyed at my determination._ So, I'm acting a little strange. No need to look at me as if I have a flesh-eating disease, _I thought to myself, suddenly annoyed with the two younger doctors.

Finally I arrived at my destination, but as I extended my hand to the door of the locker room, another, more feminine hand, reached it first. I looked up to see the puzzled expression of Cuddy. She held one hand on the door, the other on her pager. "What are-?" She began when the door suddenly opened. Before my mind could process what was happening, a hand grabbed my shirtsleeve and pulled me inside. The other three doctors hurried in behind me.

The next thing I knew, House's blue eyes were looking me over as if determining whether I was safe or not. His piercing gaze made me feel uneasy and I shifted awkwardly. "H-House, what's going on?" I asked, sensing the tension between us. House's face relaxed and his eyes transformed from cruel to relieved…and terrified? He kept his hand clinging to my shirt, on the off chance that I would disappear if he let go. Cuddy stepped up to ask again, but this time more forcefully.

"House, what the hell is going on?" House sighed and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck nervously. He looked really edgy. Cuddy noticed this and decided to take a softer approach. "You look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?" She asked in a motherly tone. Before House could answer, the locker room door opened again. Foreman walked in with his normal indifference and found a place against the wall to lean and watch. House looked at each of them again, until he took a deep breath.

"You-u guys a-are going to think I'm c-crazy." He stuttered slightly. I'd never seen House so freaked out in my life. I had the sudden urge to comfort him, but I kept still and just looked at him with concern.

"Ha, we already think you're crazy!" Chase remarked, but all he got were glares from his colleagues. I felt House release my sleeve, but his eyes still spent most of their time eyeing me anxiously.

"Look, House, whatever it is. We'll understand." Cameron said with a worried smile.

"Ha, I-I doubt that." House said. He was pacing back and forth by this point. His jumpy behavior was unnerving me until I couldn't take it anymore. I moved forward abruptly and forcefully pinned the restless man against the wall. Everyone looked at me as if I was a stranger. Even House looked bewildered, but he didn't say anything and didn't struggle. If anything he seemed to relax and his blue eyes softened a bit. Then suddenly, he broke eye contact and looked down shamefully. In all the years I've known him, I've never seen him like this.

"Hou-…Greg," I began, but I wasn't sure what to say. "Tell me-…us…what's wrong." I said shakily. I'm not sure I really wanted to know anymore.

"P-people aren't acting like p-people." He said, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Wha-" Cuddy began in confusion, but House continued.

"People don't feel pain! P-people aren't smiling or laughing…th-they're just…th-they look at each other as if they have some secret between them, so-some unspoken plan! Just look down the hallway, you just have to look and you have to see it!" House ranted. I just stared at him. _What else can I do? He isn't making any sense. _House paused to measure everyone's reactions, looking at me last. His face fell. "Dammit, y-you guys think I'm nuts," he stammered quietly. He looked helpless and I could only imagine the fear etched on my own face. Cuddy was the first to voice our fears.

"Are you…high?" She asked shaking her head knowingly. House looked crushed.

"For once in your life, can you not blame everything on the Vicodin?" He yelled, desperation apparent in his voice. I was still holding him against the wall and he still made no move to free himself. "I'm not seeing things! I know it sounds crazy, but it's true." He turned his eyes away from Cuddy and to me. "Y-you have to believe me. I'm _always_ right, so what makes this any different?" He continued desperately. His body was tense again, but I still didn't release my grip. House kept his eyes on me as he continued, "you met my patient…"

"Harris Grant?" Chase broke in, only to be silenced by Cuddy.

"Ye-yeah, Harris Grant. James, you were there when we met him. He didn't smile or react or anything. I saw your face…I know you noticed! I detected it too, but I didn't think too much into it, until we got the results back. Someone with that stage of pancreatic cancer should be dying of the pain alone and I of all people know that you can't hide that kind of pain, but I didn't look into it until I told him. I-I told him he was going to die and he just stared blankly back at me…there-there wasn't even a flicker of emotion in his eyes…he didn't even seem human."

"House, you aren't making any sense! What are-?" Cameron began, but House interrupted again.

"I tested his blood. It wasn't normal…his DNA was screwed up. It_ changed_…"

"House, I'm not going to listen to this nonsense. I don't need to hear any more conspiracy theories-" Cuddy lectured.

"I think we should listen to him." I announced suddenly. Everyone's eyes turned toward me in stupefaction, including a pair of bright blue ones.


	5. One of Them

**We actually had some "**_**snow**_**" in Texas! It's a miracle; although, school wasn't canceled… I just thought everyone should be informed of this historical event.**

Chapter 5: One of Them

House gave me a weak smile of gratitude while the others just stared at me as if I was just as crazy as he was. "Look, we owe it to House to believe him or to at least give him a chance to prove it without brushing off his observations as a hallucination." I stated, moving my hands for emphasis. I suddenly felt as hopeless as House, staring into the skeptical faces of those whom I considered my friends. I wasn't sure I truly believed House, but after seeing his face, I knew that I couldn't just dismiss his theory and attribute it to his drug problem. Also, in a way, I had noticed these things too. People were acting different and I knew House would, of course, be the first to investigate.

"House finally went over the edge." Foreman remarked coolly. I glared at him. _How can he say that?_ I turned away from Foreman when House tensed under my grip. I looked at the infamous diagnostician who was staring directly at Foreman with an expression of disbelief.

"You're one of them." House uttered quietly, his eyes wide in shock. I turned back to Foreman to gage his reaction.

"You're insane, House." Foreman replied.

"House…maybe we should get you out of here." Cuddy pronounced as she took a step toward House. I released one of House's arms so that I could step between Cuddy and House. The tension in the room returned. I glanced back at House who was still staring at Foreman and then I briefly turned back to a worried Cuddy.

"House, if you're right…we really should get out of here." I declared, my eyes settling back on House. _A compromise should appease both sides for now._ My best friend ignored me though, his eyes still trained on Foreman.

"I'm going to tell _everyone_." He said, narrowing his eyes at Foreman.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Foreman responded. Before I could stop him, House pushed my arm away and limped toward the door. I moved to stop him, but I was too late and what happened next was entirely unexpected.

Foreman kicked House's cane, disrupting his balance, thus forcing him into the wall. Foreman then grabbed House's arm and shoved it behind his back, so that House couldn't break free. House was pressed into the wall and, from what I could see, his face grimaced in pain. I stood, frozen in place, unsure of what had just happened. _House is… right… but what does that even mean?_ Everyone's face mirrored my own shock. I took a step toward the two doctors, but stopped abruptly when a pained yelp escaped House's lips. House ceased his struggle in hopes that the pain Foreman was causing would subside slightly.

"Foreman, what are you doing!" Cuddy screamed, her hands came up to her mouth instinctively. Chase and Cameron just stared dumbfounded, which left me to intervene. I abandoned my doubts and hurried forward to grab Foreman, but as soon as I touched him I recoiled in alarm. His skin was as hot as fire. _He's actually burning House with his touch._ I quickly looked around the room for something…hard.

House was almost in tears when my eyes finally settled on the abandoned cane. I quickly bent down and grabbed it, and then without another thought I brought it down on Foreman with all the strength I had. My only priority was to stop him from hurting my friend, my best friend. Apparently it was enough. Foreman collapsed on the ground, the back of his head tainted with blood. My attention innately turned back to House.

He was sliding down the wall, concealing his injured arm against his body. I stepped hastily over Foreman to House. I then propped him up against the wall and carefully moved his arm so that I could examine the burn. He didn't resist, but kept his eyes firmly shut. His arm was bleeding pretty badly.

I had no real notion of my own actions. As a doctor, I've seen many horrific scenes and I've been in countless, difficult situations, and as in any of those, I was in doctor mode. I tore off some cloth from my sleeve and wrapped it around the wound. House sneered painfully, but didn't say anything. The significance of what was going on had yet to dawn on me and I was still oblivious to the severity of the situation.

**Don't worry, bad things will happen to other characters too! I just enjoy hurting House the most. Muhahaha...**

**Stay tuned for further drama! **

**If you're confused, things will be explained in the next couple of chapters.**


	6. I Told You So

**This chapter is short and is basically a transition to the next chapter. I also added in some brief moments foreshadowing the House/Wilson pairing. Their relationship will grow stronger throughout the story, but there will be nothing explicit, so if you don't support the pairing, I hope you will keep on reading anyways. If you don't like slash because you think it's wrong, well then that's your**_** problem.**_

Chapter 6: I Told You So

House moved away from the wall and braced himself against me. The fact that he was this close, gave me an exhilarating feeling, which I couldn't quiet place nor explain. "House, you okay?" I asked my voice choked with concern. House finally opened his eyes and looked at me.

"I was right." He whispered, his eyes suddenly looking weary in addition to the pain overwhelming his body. He tried his best to stay balanced, but still leaned heavily on me. I watched him delve into his pocket to bring out the familiar orange bottle. He dry swallowed two pills before returning them to his pocket. He waited for a minute, his eyes barely open, until the meds kicked in. Once the relief came, he had enough energy to inspect his own burn. His arm skimmed against his body as he pulled it up and he grimaced in response. I reached forward and grabbed his hand suddenly. I could've sworn that he blushed slightly at this spontaneous action, but I convinced myself that it was a trick of the light or my imagination, my _hopeful_ imagination. I faintly shook my head and released his hand.

I wanted to say something, anything, but when I tried nothing came out. His eyes met again with mine and in his expression I could read everything I needed to know and vice-versa. The moment halted the world for what seemed like a lifetime, until Cameron finally found her voice.

"He-he just…Foreman just attacked…he's one of…one of them?" She stammered, unable to get the words out.

"Still think I'm crazy?" House replied quietly. He didn't have the energy to say, "I told you so," especially under the bizarre circumstances.


	7. The Not So Great Escape Plan

Chapter 7: The Not-So-Great Escape Plan

There was a long period of silence occupied by a compelling realization. "What do we do now?" Cuddy asked, obviously forcing her voice to remain steady.

"We have to get out of here!" Chase rushed in a panicked voice, his body shaking fearfully.

"Look, we have to stay calm." I said although a part of me wanted to panic too.

"This…this doesn't make…an-any sense." Cameron continued in her utter disbelief.

"Chase is right. We need to get out of here and out of this hospital." House added suddenly. His eyes were still shut and he was still leaning on me, but his voice seemed oddly calm. For House, it wasn't the idea that our society was somehow invaded by emotionless entities that scared him; it was the idea that his friends wouldn't believe him that terrified him. In response to House's comment, Cuddy moved toward the door only to be pulled back suddenly by House.

"We need to-" Cuddy began, but House beat her to it.

"Yeah, I know, but…" he paused to word his next sentence correctly, "in a…takeover, the…enemy first infiltrates society and then when they have power in numbers and they are found out, they lead an attack from the inside. We can't be the only ones to have noticed this and Foreman already revealed himself, so if we walk out there, we won't have a chance." He finished, releasing his light grip on Cuddy. In response to this despairing evaluation, Cuddy laughed a little. House frowned.

"What?"

"I guess it was a bad day to wear high heels." Cuddy said looking down at her painful footwear. Before House could reply, a voice rang out from the other side of the door.

"Come out here, Dr. House." The voice held no anger or emotion, but it was terrifying for that reason. Everyone looked at each other and then they rested their eyes on the unconscious Foreman.

"He was late to the meeting, he must have told the other…things. He must of thought it was only between him and House." Cuddy whispered. The door began to open and without any forethought, House and I jumped forward and shoved it shut.

"Give me a minute." House yelled, sending me an anxious glance.

"We-we have to go through that door. It's the only way out." I whispered softly.

"Damn, why didn't I pick a different room with _two_ exits?" House said under his breath. House paused, an idea discernable on his face.

"What?" I asked.

"They only know I'm here." He stated blatantly. "They only expect me to come out."

"So?" Cameron added.

"I run-," he back-peddled after seeing my skeptical expression, "I limp briskly into the hallway and I'll be so much of a distraction that they won't be prepared for you four to run out behind me. Or at least, you guys will have a _chance_ to make a run for it." I stared at him fearfully.

"That means _they'll_ get you and you-you'll become one of them." I stammered, terror unmistakable in my voice. House sighed.

"I'm a cripple." He stated before continuing. "I'm not going to win in a footrace. Not to mention the fact that they are_expecting_ me." I just stared at him. "You guys can split up and run in different directions-oh and Cuddy, take off your shoes. Fashion really isn't going to save you now and I doubt you'll need to impress any rich donors, although that low-cut top looks really nice on-"

"House!" I broke in. He was trying to change the subject and I wasn't about to let him sacrifice himself as bait. "You-you can't just…"

"I think what these people have is reversible." House interrupted. "What they have is…is like a virus. They're just in a sleep-like state that they can't get out of. I think if you can get to the lab, you can find a way to cure it. The structure wasn't complicated, if anything it simplified…."

"But-but their DNA changed!" Cameron exclaimed.

"Yeah, their _illness_ breaks every rule we've ever known, but I looked at the structure of it. It is like any virus. If we can make an antidote, the after-effects of the virus should also dissolve…"

"What if the symptoms _don't_ dissolve? What if the changes are permanent? For all we know, they could die!" I argued hopelessly.

"They could die." He repeated softly. "It's not like we have a choice."

"Come out," came the voice outside again.

"Please, one more minute." House pleaded, his eyes waiting for my approval. I sighed in defeat, though I would've given anything for him not to go. I was once again speechless and thankfully Cuddy jumped in and spoke for me.

"He'll come with me." She smiled softly while resting a hand on my shoulder. House nodded, giving me a weak smile. "Chase and Cameron will go left, Wilson and I will run right." She whispered sadly. "We'll meet up at the security center. If it's empty, we can use it to monitor everything that's happening in the hospital and we can get a hold of some walkie-talkies. If that works out, we can come back for House and get to the lab." She finished. Cuddy looked around at her colleagues, awaiting ratification. Everyone nodded sullenly.

Cuddy kicked off her shoes.


	8. Communism

Chapter 8: Communism

We all looked at each other one last time, knowing that some of us wouldn't make it out of this. We'd already lost Foreman and I knew House was next. Everything seemed surreal and I found myself hoping I would wake up any moment back at House's apartment, but I never did wake up.

When I looked back at House I was overcome with sadness. I kept telling myself that I would see him again, but I couldn't convince myself. I wanted to tell him how much he meant to me, how he really was everything I had left in this world, but I couldn't find the words. House must've noticed my devastation, "I'll be fine, James." He said in an oddly comforting tone. House was acting very unlike himself, but I guess he had good reason considering the world was being invaded by…I'm not even sure what to call them.

I felt like I was fading and numbing. I couldn't do anything. Cuddy pulled me away from my friend and I could faintly hear him counting, "3…2…" House tightened his grip on his cane and I tensed. "...1." The door opened suddenly to reveal a blinding light. Everything that followed moved in slow motion. It was the strangest sensation I had ever felt.

I saw House use his cane to give one of the doctors a hideous blow to the head before he disappeared in a mob. Cuddy pulled me roughly to the right. I could barely keep up with the Dean of Medicine. I got a brief glance at Chase's blond hair before we turned a corner sharply. The shock faded as adrenaline drove me on as fast as I could run. Soon I was pulling Cuddy along behind me.

I could hear them following us and I only ran faster. Then suddenly, I turned left into a nearby stairwell. We paused for half a second, "down," Cuddy ordered. I held her hand tighter as I made my way down the stairs at record speed. Once I reached the first floor, Cuddy pulled out in front of me and rushed us down the hall. The hospital was empty and quiet, except for the distant bloodcurdling screams. The world was in chaos.

We hurried into the security center, thankful that we had lost them. We were both panting heavily, but we were safe…for now. As soon as Cuddy recovered, she made her way to the monitors and I followed slowly behind. She pointed to one of the screens, "Cameron and Chase made it. They should be here any minute," she said in relief. I followed her finger and saw them too, running alongside each other. They were coming up the hall from the other direction and they too had lost their pursuers. I smiled slightly.

"His plan worked," I remarked.

"...Not for him it didn't…" She said quietly, her voice broken. She moved her finger to another monitor.

House was on the floor, a bloody gash on his head above his ear. The gash was big enough to be seen by the security camera. "Does this have audio?" I asked hurriedly. Before Cuddy could reply, the door opened causing both of us to jump.

"S-sorry." Chase gasped, hastily shutting the door. Cameron stood beside him, trying to catch her breath. "You guys made it too." He said happily. I turned back to Cuddy.

"Audio." I begged.

"Oh, um, sure." She fiddled around the panel until she found the right button.

* * *

"-It won't hurt. All you need to do is sleep," Dr. Bennet continued. This arrogant bastard was the department head of Cardiology and, yes, I recognize that I'm an arrogant bastard too, but at least I have good reason. I **solve** cases that no one else can, while he just performs surgeries. Anyone can do that!

I kept up my defiant glare. "So, let me get this straight. You…_alien things_…want to turn all of mankind into an emotionless, Utopian society?"

"The world is better this way. No fighting, no greed, no suffering…no _pain._" Nurse Brenda added. "Your leg will be as good as new. You'll never feel pain again." House wasn't going to fall for their ploy, _no matter how tempting_.

"But then life has no purpose-"

"According to you, life has no purpose anyways." I raised an eyebrow.

"Niiiiccce, but there's no happiness, no sarcasm, no anger, no…love. What's the sense in that? Life may have no underlying purpose, but humans should at least have the ability to enjoy it or to hate it or to feel something. Otherwise we're no longer human!"

"You hate humanity, Dr. House. Why are you fighting this?"

"Yes, humanity sucks sometimes, but there are good things about it too. Just because I complain about the bad things in my life, doesn't mean there aren't good things."

"You're being hypocritical."

"Maybe so. It's like communism. The idea in theory is good, but in practice, it fails miserably. The idea of there being no war, no pain, no suffering sounds ideal, but without these things there is nothing to look forward to. I don't want to live the rest of my life on fucking autopilot! Humanity is flawed, but without these flaws it looses all value. People need to feel pain to realize what joy is. Without one, their isn't the other, and, by the way, I know for a fact that you feel pain. Just because you can't express this pain, doesn't mean you can't feel it!" I argued while pointing an accusatory finger at Dr. Bennet. As soon as I did it, I regretted it. My head began to throb and I recoiled my hand to my newest wound. _This is the worst day of my life, even worse than the infarction._

"Nothing really changes. You will still have your job and your _puzzles_. You'll still have all your memories, family and friends, but life will be peaceful. Life will be perfect," Dr. Bennet said, "all you have to do is nothing. It doesn't hurt and when you wake up you'll be the same person, but without all those unnecessary human emotions."

"Puzzles aren't everything and there are no puzzles if no one lies! How can I have friends anyways, if I can't feel anything towards them?" I continued sternly. The idea was starting to freak me out, but I kept my fear hidden. I've had years of practice.

"There is no point in arguing. You'll soon see." He said, giving a nod to the two doctors behind me. _If I survive this, I will forever hate this man. _The next thing I knew, two powerful hands were pulling me to my feet, but by now I knew better than to resist. I flinched painfully when the man handled my harm roughly, but I kept quiet. _No point in digging myself any deeper, if that's even possible._

I did, however, begin to struggle when I saw Nurse Brenda walk towards me with a syringe. _How the hell did I get into this mess?_ "You're kidding me! Brenda can't even put a band-aid on properly. She'll probably stab me in the eye!" I remarked, trying to calm my frayed nerves. _I really wish Wilson was here._

I found myself thinking of Wilson. I'd been happening a lot lately and normally I would try to drown out the thoughts with music or T.V., but this time, I welcomed them. I'd rather face my feelings for Wilson than face my inevitable doom.

_Wait, feelings? What am I, a 15 year-old girl?_

Okay…so maybe I'm…I'm in love with my best _guy _friend, not to mention straight friend. We've been through everything together and as the years have gone by, I've gradually _enjoyed_ his company more and more. I must have had these feelings for years, but I only began to recognize them a few months ago. _I wish I had told him._

Brenda shoved the needle in my good arm and I flinched again, this time not at the pain, but the significance. _There's no coming back now._

**House is in deep shit… **

**Once again, bad things will happen to other people too. I'm simply building up!**

**I will be updating more this week because it's spring break!**


	9. Prison

**I switch to House's point of view in the second half.**

Chapter 9: Prison

"No…" I whispered, my eyes never leaving the monitor. _House…_

"We need to get to the lab." Cuddy uttered before turning to the farthest wall to rummage through the shelves. My eyes never left the screen, but I could faintly hear her movements. _House is one of them. He's gone. _My breathing quickened.

My state of despair was broken when Cuddy shoved a walkie-talkie into my arms. "They said that all he had to do was sleep. That means, he has to fall asleep to become one of them. We haven't lost him yet." Cuddy stated, looking at her colleagues. "We follow the plan." I heard her sigh and I felt her hand rest on my shoulder.

"You go find House and bring him back," she whispered, "and you go with him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid!" She directed forcefully towards Chase.

"Wait, _me_?" Chase asked, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry. Cameron will stay here and watch the monitors, and she'll call us on the walkie-talkies if anyone comes our way." She stated, throwing a talkie to Dr. Cameron. She caught it while giving a slight nod.

"Wait, you're not going to go to the lab alone, are you?" Chase asked Cuddy.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You guys will meet back at the lab once you find House." She added confidently. Her eyes were determined and no one made a move to stop her. She moved to the door, then stopped and turned back one last time, "be careful." She disappeared down the hall.

I finally found my voice, "we have to see where they take him." Cameron nodded again and moved to the control chair. We all scanned the screens until I saw him. "There. They took him to one of the hospital rooms on the second floor. We have to go, Chase." I hurried to the door and waited for the Australian. "Come on!" I urged.

Chase turned to Cameron, who stared up at him bravely. "I-I guess I'll see you," he said sadly.

"Yeah…I guess." She stated, trying to keep the emotion from her voice.

Suddenly, Chase leaned down and kissed Cameron briefly on the lips. "I _will_ see you." Cameron smiled weakly. Chase returned the smile and then followed me to the door.

"Wow, that was worst than one of House's soap operas." I stated blatantly with a lingering smile.

"Shut up." Chase responded defensively.

* * *

"Can someone bring me some pizza? I should be entitled to one last meal!" I yelled, getting and expecting no response.

_I hate hospital rooms…especially when I'm trapped in one,_ I thought eagerly while seeking a means of escape. I clattered my handcuff rhythmically to keep my focus…and, more importantly, keep me awake. My eyes kept fluttering shut until I noticed and jolted back to reality. _Staying awake would be so much easier if I wasn't handcuffed to a bed…__**against my will and with no pleasurable company…**_

I sighed my consciousness drifting again. _Now I really wish I had gone home last night and called in sick this morning. Then I wouldn't be in the mess…, but then again, Wilson, Cuddy, and the ducklings wouldn't have a chance. Well, two of the ducklings anyways. Technically, Foreman was already a goner…_ I felt myself fading again until I finally mustered up enough willpower to fight the overwhelming drowsiness.

I turned my eyes away from the ceiling to the door of my "prison." No one stood guard outside, but, of course, who would need to? _I'm a handcuffed, exhausted cripple. I'm not exactly a threat…or at least that's what they think…_

I sighed. "Now would be a great time for an epiphany; some brilliant way out of this mess." I said to myself. _Needless to say, I'm in unknown waters._ _It's not everyday I'm faced with an epidemic in which people are being transformed into emotionless zombies…okay, maybe not zombies…they still seem human or at least they look human._

_Epiphany…_


	10. Get Out Of Here

Chapter 10: Get. Out. Of. Here.

To my surprise, the room was unguarded and the hallway was empty. So, throwing caution to the wind, I ran over to the glass room and found myself desperately yelling, "House! House! Wake up!" My hopes were crushed, _he's asleep… I'm too late. _Then, suddenly, the lifeless body moved. House opened his eyes and blue clashed with brown. His face contorted in annoyance and anger, but his brilliant blue eyes revealed something I could only translate as fear.

"I'm awake! Now get out of here before they hear your obnoxious voice!" He all, but pleaded. 

"We came to break you out of here and we're not leaving without you!" I continued, ignoring Chase's heavy breathing and acute paranoia. He kept glancing around the room, anxiously tapping his foot.

"Well, got a key?" House exaggerated. Wilson's expression was a sufficient response. "Didn't think so." He continued, turning his eyes back to the ceiling. "Did you _at least _bring some pizza? I'm starving, man!"

"We'll break the glass." I countered. I was determined to get him out by any means necessary.

"And live to tell the tale?" House replied in his familiar sarcasm. His tone would normally be viewed as comical if it was not for the dire situation. Although, his face still appeared annoyed, his eyes still seemed apprehensive and worried. He sighed and continued on sincerely, "James, I'll be fine. _Please_ go. Go to the lab," he looked around suddenly, "and where's Cuddy and Cameron?" 

"They're fine." I replied absent-mindedly. "You're plan worked…**and now we're going to get you out of here." **I stressed. 

"Even if you find a way into the room, you would still need to break the handcuffs…" House replied wearily. He lost the urge to argue. His tiredness alarmed me. I was about to speak when he continued, "did you even think this through _before_ you got down here?"

"Look, I didn't have the time. Now stop bickering." I resolved to ignore House. I looked around the hallway, hoping something would spark a plan. House began almost yelling at me, desperation evident in his voice.

"Wilson! Get. Out. Of. Here. I'll. Be. Fine!" He stressed, begging that I would leave. I briefly looked him in the eyes, before I felt Chase tug at my sleeve.

"Wilson, we have to go." He urged. I was about to ask what he meant when I heard the group of footsteps heading our way. My first instinct was to run, but I was frozen. 

"No, we can't leave him behind again." I said fearfully, panic taking over. For once, Chase was the one with the level head. 

"Come on, Wilson, we're of no help to him if we don't leave now." Chase begged, grabbing my shirt in an attempt to drag me from the room. I looked timorously to House, who nodded.

"James, listen to Chase…_please_ go." He begged sincerely. I gave in. 

"We'll be back for you." I promised before following Chase down the hall. Eventually, we ducked into a janitor's closet. Both of us sighed with relief as three shadows passed the door. 

"Either we're really great at hiding or they're really not the brightest crayons in the box…" Chase whispered with a weak laugh. I nodded sadly, unable to smile at the remark. Chase sensed my hesitation in the darkness, "It's House. If anyone can survive this, he can."

"Did you even see how tired he was?" I asked my voice broken.

"He'll be fine…" Chase whispered, but his voice was anything, but comforting. He sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. "We need to worry about ourselves right now." He continued, shifting uneasily in the enclosed place. "We should-" Chase stopped abruptly and held his breath. Adrenaline rushed through our veins as a shadow lingered in front of the semi-transparent glass. We waited for what seemed like an eternity until, to our relief, the silhouette faded and moved down the hall. 

I released a breath that I didn't know I was holding. "I think we should stay here for awhile…" I whispered. Chase nodded. Suddenly the absurdity of the situation made me laugh slightly.

"What's so funny?" Chase asked, relieved by my sudden good humor. 

"Could you just imagine what House would say right about now?" I laughed again. "Chase and Wilson in a janitor's closet?" We both laughed quietly, finding some amusement in the most inauspicious of circumstances. 

**Thanks for all the reviews! **


	11. The Deadly Mop

Chapter 11: The Deadly Mop

"It doesn't hurt, James. You'll be the same as before. We can be together and life will be perfect. You will never again watch a patient suffer. You'll never be depressed. You'll never again see the bloody ink in the headlines. No more guilt, no more worries. We were wrong to deny humans this. We were wrong to fight this, James." I could feel tears falling down my face. I didn't have the care to contain them. 

"I'm sorry, House, but I can't do this. I'm so sorry…" I cried. I grabbed the mop and smashed his skull in. 

I looked down at the lifeless body. I began to shake violently unable to contain my insurmountable grief. "Wilson," Chase asked urgently, "Wilson?"

I jolted awake. The slight movement was enough to dislodge the mop beside me, so it came down on my head. "Owe…" I whispered painfully. I focused my eyes on my surroundings until I recognized Chase's concerned face, which was barely discernible in the darkness. 

"You were mumbling in your sleep and you looked like you were having a pretty bad nightmare." Chase justified. I faintly nodded.

"What'd I say?"

"You said, 'I'm sorry, House, but I can't do this' and then you continued to rant about how you were sorry." Chase whispered sympathetically.

"Oh, I don't even remember falling asleep. Did you sleep?" I asked trying to evade any further questions regarding my dream. Thankfully Chase took the bait willingly.

"Yeah I dozed off for awhile. You've been out for about two hours." He whispered hesitantly, not knowing how I'd take the news.

"Wait? I slept for _two hours_?" I asked incredulously. He nodded. "We better get to the lab now." I said, attempting to stand.

"Wait._They_ have been walking past this room frequently, so if we're going to go, we have to go cautiously." Chase said, carefully standing. I nodded foolishly. I stepped up to the door and listened for any doctors or nurses, but there was only silence. I nodded again and opened the door slightly. I glanced up and down the hallway relieved to find it empty. I then motioned for Chase to follow as I left the room.

- - - 

We made it to the lab without incident and we were both thankful when we saw Cuddy using one of the microscopes. "Cuddy." I whispered, hoping not to startle her. My attempt failed when she jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Wilson! Chase!" She said happily, giving me a tight hug. "I thought I'd lost you two." She said quietly. The fact that we were alive overjoyed her, but something else was in her voice. Chase noticed it too. 

"What's wrong, Cuddy?" Chase asked worriedly. 

"Cameron…hasn't been answering her walkie-talkie…I kept calling her, but I couldn't get a response." She stated softly. I released Cuddy and looked back at Chase. He looked like his heart had been smashed and thrown across the floor in a million little pieces. His light blue eyes glazed over. "I'm…I'm sorry." Cuddy continued. She walked over to Chase and gave him a comforting hug, but he didn't move. Suddenly, I realized something. 

"Wait, when was the last time you talked to her?" I asked quickly. 

"Um…I've been trying to reach her for the past 10 minutes. Why?"

"If they have her, then that means they have access to all the cameras in the building! They can see us! We don't have much-" I paused when I heard people coming done the hall in our direction. "We're too late. They're already here." My first reaction was to smash the camera, so I jumped on the table and tore the security camera of the wall. I then jumped back down and looked to my two remaining friends.

The_ things_ were too close to make a run for it, so we reluctantly opted to hide behind the rows of counters. We would need pure luck to get out of this one.

**Next Chapter: Don't You Trust Me?**


	12. Don't You Trust Me?

Chapter 12: Don't You Trust Me?

My heart was beating rapidly as two men entered the lab, both doctors from the hospital. I could see them in the reflective surface of the cabinets. _If I can see them, they may be able to see me,_ I thought worriedly, but I didn't dare breath, let alone move. So I turned my attention back to the men. I vaguely recognized their faces, but I knew better than to trust them. "They were in here," the lead man stated. He was Indian and had dark, chocolate eyes. The second man, whom I knew from cardiology, turned his eyes to the broken security camera. 

"They knew we were coming." He said. This man had reddish hair and distinctive freckles.

"Wilson isn't stupid. He knew we were watching. They left," came a third voice. My blood turned to ice in my veins. "They'll try to get out of the building." He continued. The room seemed to close in on me, my thoughts racing. I tried to see the figure and prove my fears, but the man had come in behind the other two and was hidden. 

Panic overwhelmed my body. I couldn't fight my urge to run and I lost my will to hide. I didn't care if I got caught anymore…I just _had_ to know. Suddenly, in less then a second, I took the leap to my own demise. I jumped up and faced the newcomers. I was shaking cowardly and my gaze was anything but defiant or even steady. I felt foolish, but I no longer had control. I faintly heard Cuddy gasp, but my mind was too preoccupied with House stepping up beside the first man. "I was wrong." He stated blatantly, his eyes unresponsive. I couldn't think or breathe, so I instinctively resorted to denial.

"Wha-what? You-you brought House to-to find us?" I stammered, telling myself that House was still House. I quickly noticed that House wasn't using a cane even though he was still limping heavily. He never grimaced when he put pressure on his leg and this only added to my uncomfortable assumption. 

"Not exactly, James." He said, watching me intently. I shook my head as if to wake myself up, but I wasn't asleep and I knew it. "You're not asleep." He continued, reading my mind. House's cold gaze didn't falter.

* * *

I was shocked when I heard House's callous voice. My attention immediately turned to Wilson who sat across the isle from me. His expression was that of panic and I wanted desperately to comfort him, but I couldn't move. I carefully turned my head to gauge Chase's reaction, but he only stared ahead, barely aware of his surroundings. I reached out and grabbed his hand, but he didn't react. He was still in shock after losing Cameron. _I guess they were closer than I thought._

My focus returned to the visibly shaking Wilson. He looked jumpy, his eyes wide with fear. I wanted him to make eye contact, but he ignored me. He tensed and at that moment I realized his intentions. My eyes were pleading, but he continued to disregard me. In one swift movement, he revealed himself. I gasped and immediately clasped my hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe the idiot. _James! What the hell are you thinking?_ I was tempted to reach out and pull him back, but I knew it would only make things worse, so I sat back and listened. I could only see the distorted figures vaguely in the reflective cabinets. There were two men, House, and…James. James' voice was fragile and unsteady. I had never seen him so distraught. I hated sitting back and doing nothing, but I had no choice. Chase was close to hyperventilating by now, so I squeezed his hand harder. 

House's voice echoed through the room again. It sounded nothing like him. It lacked all sarcasm and was devoid of emotion. Everything about this mess was overwhelmingly depressing. They first took Foreman, then Cameron, and then House…and probably Wilson. I shook my head and calmed myself. I had to stay in control. There was still a slim chance that Chase and I could get out of this. 

* * *

"You-you're not…" I searched desperately for a different conclusion, but I couldn't find one.

"Yes, yes I am." House replied unmoved by my apparent breakdown. I felt my knees giving out, but by some miracle I kept myself steady. I couldn't feel tears, but I knew I was crying.

"You-you, bastard!" I yelled angrily. "I-you fell asleep! You sent me away! I could've gotten you out! I-I could've saved you-"

"Saved me from what?" He asked, lacking any sincere interest. 

"You-you-no, no, no…" I pleaded with myself, pressing my palms into my skull. I could feel my sanity fading fast. I couldn't take any more grief and despair. His eyes followed me as I swayed back and forth unsteadily.

"Don't you hate that feeling?" He asked. "Well, I can't feel like that anymore."

"How-how could you do this to me, Greg!" I yelled, blaming him. "You left me, you gave up!"

"It doesn't hurt, James. You'll be the same as before. We can be together and life will be perfect. You will never again watch a patient suffer. You'll never be depressed. You'll never again see the bloody ink in the headlines. No more guilt, no more worries. We were wrong to deny humans this. We were wrong to fight this, James." I could only stare blankly. _Déjà vu…_ My nightmare was coming true; except the fact that there was no mop in sight. 

I thought I might faint in an attempt to shut out the trauma of the situation. I was so shocked that I didn't realize how close House had come until he was standing directly in front of me. My eyes followed his every move. He placed his hands on my shoulders. "Stop worrying." House declared. "I'm still House. I'm still Greg. Don't you trust me?" I shoved him away from me, despite wanting to give in. I shook my head persistently and began pleading with him.

"No, no, _please_. Just-just go, _please_. I-I don't want this." I argued hopelessly. The Indian man stepped forward, pulling out a syringe. House held out his hand to stop the man from proceeding.

"I'll do it." Before my mind could process what he said, House pulled me around so that he was standing behind me, my body pressed against him. His arms held me tight and I was trapped despite my best efforts. At some point House had pulled out a syringe from his pocket and held it to my arm. "Stop squirming." He ordered. There was something malicious about the action, but I succumbed to his demand. I was still crying when he injected me with the substance. 

I hated feeling like a foolish coward, but I couldn't restrain myself. I relaxed in House's grip when he pulled away the syringe. I felt utterly defeated and pathetically hopeless. The red haired cardiologist began to speak, "where are the others?"

"I-I don't know. I-I lost them." I lied pitifully. _Maybe there's still some hope if the others escape… _I just hoped these creatures were gullible. I didn't have such luck. 

"Don't lie to us. Where are they?" He took another step forward. House was still holding me still. I felt him shift uncomfortably, but his face remained impassive. _Maybe he's still House somewhere in him._ "Where are they?" He asked again nonchalantly. He was intimidating despite his lack of aggression. I tensed. 

"I-I told you-" I cried a little. _This sucks._

"Stop lying." He interrupted taking another threatening step toward me. I had seen what these things could do, but I wasn't about to turn over my friends. _Damn, I wish I was a better liar._

"I-I'm n-not-" I begged for him to believe me. 

"Did they leave the hospital?" House interrupted. "Perhaps through the parking garage? You must've known where they were going?" My luck had changed. I nodded my head.

"Y-yeah I-they left the hospital. They were going to go to the cops." I lied hastily, shutting my eyes fearfully, not wanting to see their reactions. _Please, make them go away._

"Go to the parking garage. You may be able to catch them," House ordered the Indian man, "and you," he directed to the cardiologist, "go call the police station. They're naïve to assume the law is on their side." The cardiologist nodded and left the room. The other man remained standing, watching House intently. "What?" House asked.

"You will lock him away. Don't let him escape." He confirmed.

"Don't worry." House countered. "He'll be fine." The Indian man nodded and left the room. 


	13. Hollywood

Chapter 13: Hollywood

I saw the figures disappear through the door. _Now I have an advantage,_ I thought quickly, _three against one…_ My only concern was to help Wilson. I never thought I'd literally consider _killing_ House. Of course it's passed my mind, but actually doing it is another matter entirely. My desire to kill a _friend_ who can barely walk actually made me feel sick. I had to keep reminding myself that he wasn't one of us. I grabbed the closest hard object, which happened to be a movable microscope. _I finally decide to kill House and I choose a microscope?_ I held the object in my hand, determined not to miss. I stood up slowly and quietly. I got a quick glance at Chase who eyed me as if I was insane. _Maybe I am… _I took a silent step towards House and then froze.

"You know I could've made it big in Hollywood," House whispered into Wilson's ear. Wilson quickly pushed away and turned around to face him. He looked like a deer in the headlights. "And I never thought I'd see the day when Cuddy actually got the guts to kill me. I'm pretty sure that's illegal…and did you actually think you could sneak up on me?" I heard him laugh slightly when he turned around to face me. He gave me a smug smile, but his eyes revealed unbearable pain. "A microscope? You get points for originality." He added sarcastically, but then stopped and shifted uneasily.

"I-I wanted to kill you with a mop." Wilson said shakily. His eyes were still wide in shock. House gave him a puzzled look, but before he could say anything he grimaced again and shifted backward so that he could lean heavily on the table. He kept his eyes down. I just stood completely still unable to comprehend the sudden change in events.

* * *

After what House had said, I had to turn and confirm I'd actually heard it. At this point, it could all be in my head. I just stared in disbelief. I wasn't sure whether I should yell at him for scaring me to death or to hug him and never let go. I couldn't decide, so I just stared. He turned away from me and directed his familiar sarcasm to Cuddy. I heard only the last of what he said and I found myself responding subconsciously. He looked at me in confusion. I'd never been so happy to see House confused or sarcastic or even in pain. I finally caught up with time and my brain suddenly lit up and began to function again. I rushed forward and hugged House tightly nearly knocking him over. I decided I could yell at him later. I wasn't actually sure what House pulled, but I was just happy that he was okay. Somehow he always managed to surprise me.

House glanced at Cuddy. He wasn't used to being _hugged._ Normally he would have shoved me away, but I guess he decided, after forcing me into a panic, he at least owed me a hug. So, much to my surprise, he awkwardly hugged me back. I smiled a little bit. I was simply relieved he was okay. Cuddy set down the microscope and found her voice.

"How'd you-?"

"They're easy to fool. I faked sleep and then convinced them I was one of themIf you don't show emotion they can't tell who's who." He said, carefully escaping my embrace. He let me stay close and I watched him look me over and stop at my eyes. Everything about him actually reflected concern. "Sorry for scaring you…" He said sincerely. "I didn't have much of a choice. You were an idiot to jump out like that. Nearly blew my cover…"

"S-sorry? I thought I'd lost you! N-never do that again." I stuttered. He nodded. This time he pulled me into a hug. It surprised me to say the least. It was one thing for him to reciprocate the slightest gesture of affection, but to actually initiate it was simply…unbelievable.

"I won't do it again…promise." He paused and leaned back again on the counter. Pain was etched on his face and I felt concern rush over me.

"Are you okay?" I asked, reaching forward to help him stay standing. "You didn't show any pain…that's one reason why I thought you were one of them." I added worriedly.

"They took my cane and my pills. You wouldn't happen to have any on you?" He asked desperately. _He needs them._ I felt around my pockets hopefully, but found nothing. I shook my head. "They were starting to get suspicious." House continued looking over at Cuddy. "They may come back here." She took this as her cue to get going on analyzing the virus.

"We'll have to get your pills. Do you have any idea where they took them?" I asked while examining his head wound.

"No and don't worry about it." House ordered, pushing my hand away. "It stopped bleeding hours ago and I only have a headache-no concussion. I am a doctor, James," he emphasized. I nodded foolishly. Before he could continue, Cuddy spoke up.

"We need to go to New York." She said hoarsely, her eyes trained on the floor. Chase stood up and turned to the Dean of Medicine.

"Why?" Chase asked anxiously. He still looked like hell, but at least he was following what was going on. House and I turned to her expectantly.

"I think House is right about this being curable, but…we have to go to New York City to the disease research center. We don't have the equipment here to make an antidote. Its structure is simple, but…the center is a thirty minute drive from here…we'd need a car." She continued in a broken voice. She considered the trip hopeless. "Even if we make it there, we have no idea if we can get in or even if a cure is possible. I think it is, but I can't be sure. These machines aren't made to create antidotes, they're only made to analyze…" Cuddy finally looked up. I still had a hand on House's arm until he pulled away and limped painfully to Cuddy. I followed, offering a friend to fall on. Luckily he managed without incident. He reached over the counter and took the vial of blood while trying to steady his stance. He observed the blood.

"There isn't enough to divide. Who's going to take it?" House asked casually.

"You're serious?" Chase asked incredulously. "We already lost Foreman and…_Cameron_," he paused to regain his composure, "and we almost lost you two! We won't make it!"

"Well what do you suggest we do? Nothing?" House interrupted angrily. "You want to stay here and hide, fine. This isn't isolated. Everyone is running. How long do you think you'll last before they find you?" House glared at Chase. _He really needs his pills…or he may take a swing at Chase…again. _"Cuddy, Wilson, and I are going to at least try to get to New York and cure this thing. I'm surprised. I thought you'd do anything to save Cameron…" House successfully struck a nerve.

"Shut up!" Chase yelled, moving forward quickly. Cuddy quickly restrained him and I instinctively grabbed House.

"Stop it, will you?" I directed forcefully. "Cuddy will take the vial and Chase will go with her. They're still looking for you two, so you better stay out of sight. As far as they know, I'm a hostage, so House will stay in disguise and we'll get out that way. The blood is safer with you. If they discover you two, you at least have the option to run for it." Cuddy and Chase nodded in agreement while House stared at me intently. He seemed to want to say something, but he kept quiet.

"Do you know where the center is?" Cuddy asked, regaining her air of authority.

"Yeah. I'll see you there." I responded awkwardly. She gave me a weak smile.

"Be careful."

"Hope ya'll don't become mindless zombies." House quipped before grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the lab. I followed reluctantly, glancing back briefly at the two doctors. _I hope they make it…or this was all for nothing._ We stopped in the hall to see if the area was clear before proceeding silently to the elevators. By the time we made it to the elevators, House was much less dragging me and was more using me as a crutch. House pressed the button and then looked around quickly. I wondered what he was doing until I realized he was searching for any security cameras. When he was satisfied, House broke the silence, "if we get caught, _you_ can still flee," he said, turning his eyes to me. I stared at him dubiously.

"You're kidding, right? I've already abandoned you twice, I'm not going to again if I can help it." I answered decidedly. I felt guilty and I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left him behind again. After I said it, I thought I saw the corners of his mouth rise briefly, but the smile disappeared under a mask of indifference as the doors opened.

**Next Chapter: Clinic Duty**

**If you've seen the movies you probably saw this coming, but for those who didn't see this coming, I hope it was a pleasant surprise! This story isn't done yet! I've written up to the 21****st**** chapter, so the more interest in the story, the faster the updates. Yes, I'm bribing you. Thanks for all the reviews!**


	14. Clinic Duty

Chapter 14: Clinic Duty

Nurse Brenda's gaze pierced me to the soul. _Of course she's always had that unique ability to make me feel small and worthless._ House stood up straight and tightened his grip on my arm until it was actually painful. I looked at him in confusion, but then realized he was trying to hide his own pain by holding onto me as tight as possible. I kept quiet and let him shove me into the corner of the elevator. I then watched him step onto the elevator shakily. Luckily, Brenda didn't seem to notice. All her focus was on me.

"Did you find the others?" House asked nonchalantly. I always knew House was a talented liar, but I never knew he was such a believable actor. _That is one of my weaker abilities. _All I had to do was act like a scared hostage, which wasn't hard considering I was already terrified. House pulled me forward a bit and I acted accordingly.

"No. They haven't found them," Brenda stated blatantly, "where are you taking Wilson?"

"He has to sleep." House replied. Nurse Brenda understood the significance and turned forward again. The doors opened and House and I got off. Luckily, Brenda stayed in the metal box.

As soon as the doors closed again, House casually changed direction. He pushed me behind a large square pillar (hidden from the cameras) and all but collapsed against the wall. I grabbed him, but had trouble keeping him up. House tried to regain composure and even his breathing, but it seemed impossible. "I need those pills." He muttered. I tried to comfort him, but to no avail. I glanced around the corner to see how far we were from the clinic.

"Look, House. We can make it. It's not far." I pleaded. He opened his eyes and nodded slightly. He summoned all his strength and straightened up. He grasped my hand this time and held it tightly. After one long breath, he moved into the camera's line of view and limped briskly with me beside him, matching his steps. The distance was traveled quickly and soon we were in the clinic.

Fortunately, the pharmacy was mostly hidden from the cameras. House stood in the corner, his eyes trying to focus on the ceiling. He was visibly detoxing by this point and his strength was fading fast. He was pale and clammy, and could barely stand, not to mention, the pure exhaustion etched on his face. Needless to say, I took it upon myself to desperately rummage through the shelves in search of his Vicodin. The organization, well, was non-existent. I had no idea how the pharmacist found anything in this mess.

As I searched hurriedly, I stumbled across some stimulant drugs, all of which I pocketed to keep House and myself awake; however, the Vicodin still eluded me.

"You're not infected." House broke in. I turned and realized he was watching me. I processed what he said and felt a tinge of relief.

"What'd you give me then?" I inquired while raising an eyebrow.

"Saline." He replied with a clever smile. "Now, how long does it take to find my Vicodin?" He clenched his teeth and turned his eyes back to the ceiling. I reverted back to my mission and was overjoyed when I found the elusive orange container. I opened it hastily and as soon as I did, House grabbed the pills out of my hand and popped them into his mouth as fast as possible. Then he leaned back, his eyes closed, and waited for them to subdue the pain. Meanwhile, I grabbed some more Vicodin bottles along with some more caffeine pills. Once I felt prepared for the trip downtown, I turned back to House who was now standing on his own. "You're such an enabler." He said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes. I prepared to give a witty comeback, but I was interrupted by a familiar voice. I turned around instinctively, but House pulled me back against the wall and out of view.

"Let go of me!" Chase cried pitifully. My heart skipped a beat. _If they have Cuddy too than we've failed._ I remained calm and carefully looked around the corner. Cameron was dragging Chase through the front doors. Her eyes were glassy and unsympathetic while his were wide with fear. He was kicking and screaming like a child, but Cameron would not release her grip.

"Stop struggling. It's only a waste of energy." She remarked coolly. This did not stop the young man from flailing his arms wildly in an attempt to escape. I tried to move forward to help him, but House held me back.

"Please, Cameron! I love you! Please let me go!" He begged, tears now streaming down his face. Even House felt pity for him. Cameron gave no response. I looked away not wanting to see his broken face. I recalled our earlier conversation in the janitor's closet and it only made me feel worse. Both Cameron and Chase seemed innocent and untouchable, but no one was immune.

I wanted to help him, but I wasn't sure what we could do. Anything we could try would undoubtedly end with all three of us as prisoners. We both waited until the hospital was quiet again. I couldn't remember it being this quiet.

House grabbed my hand again and pulled me out of the clinic and to the entrance of the hospital. We moved quickly both aware that we were raising suspicions, especially by leaving the hospital. It was twilight outside and things were far from quiet. Police sirens were heard distinctly above the chaos and screams. Despite the distant noise, the parking lot itself was deserted. By this time we were moving as fast as House's leg would allow.

He suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Cuddy made it." House said, pointing to her empty parking space. _There's still hope. _He then turned back to me, "do you have your keys?" He asked quickly. My eyes widened as I recalled leaving my keys on my desk.

"Oh shit." I cursed. House didn't seem surprised and started pulling me to the other side of the lot near the median. I wasn't sure where he was headed until I recognized his motorcycle in the dim lighting. I halted abruptly and pulled my hand away from his. The diagnostician turned toward me, obviously annoyed by my resistance.

"I'm not riding that thing." I stated firmly.

"Do you really think this is the best time to argue?" He hurried impatiently. "_You_ had the good sense to leave your keys!" He accused.

"Well I didn't think I'd be needing them in the men's locker room." I countered in all seriousness. House pulled out his keys and dangled them in front of me.

"Either you get on or I'll leave you here." He warned, mounting the bike and starting the ignition.

"You wouldn't!" I replied, but I gave in reluctantly.

"You're right. I'd force you," he said, satisfied with my defeat. I managed to seat myself on the back of the bike, visibly nervous. I wasn't too fond of death machines capable of 150 miles per hour. I wrapped my arms around House's waist, terrified at the prospect of falling…or crashing.

"If you crash this thing and survive, I'll kill you myself." I threatened. I could imagine his devilish smirk. "You're not going to drive at the speed limit…are you?" I asked knowingly. He laughed in response.

"Don't you know me?" House said sarcastically with added exaggeration. I tightened my grip.

**Next Chapter: Target Fixation**


	15. Target Fixation

**This chapter is short, but the next one will be longer.**

Chapter 15: Target Fixation

"Damn, James. Could you hold on any tighter?" I could barely make out his words above the roar of sirens. "Don't forget. We're supposed to be emotionless zombies." He sneered.

I was absolutely terrified, so I kept my firm grip on House despite his ridicule. "I'm still not convinced you won't kill us." I managed to say, though the wind in my face made it difficult. House was definitely breaking the speed limits.

House began to edge off the gas as he glanced over to the left. I followed his eyes to see the police detaining two women against their will. There was a crowd surrounding them as the women screamed and pleaded, but their struggles were futile as they were shoved into police cars. Thankfully we passed the scene unnoticed.

I began to wonder if there was a warrant out for_ our_ arrest. By now, the doctors and nurses in the hospital must've realized our escape. My attention turned back to staying on the bike. _I won't have to worry about that if I die in a fiery motorcycle crash._

* * *

My mascara was being smeared for the thousandth time today by my wet and relentless tears. I could barely focus on the road. Police were swarming the streets, but luckily, my windows were tinted so they could not see my distress. I knew I had to pull myself together because if I was pulled over in this state I knew they would undoubtedly detain me. I took a couple of deep breaths and rummaged around my car in search of some tissues to wipe the dark smudges off my face.

My mind kept rewinding the event over and over. We had finally escaped the hospital's clutches and were almost to my car when her sweet voice called after him causing him to stop and turn. The bitch was cunning and believable. She pretended to be one of us, but after House's trick, I knew not to trust anyone.

Chase, however, was naïve. Cameron gave him one weak smile and that was all it took for him to throw out his suspicions. I wondered how he could ignore the sheer cold depths of her eyes, but somehow I knew Chase didn't really believe her, but he _wanted_ to believe her. He had target fixation…his brain was focused so intently on her that awareness of the danger diminished. He was so fixed on his target that he ran right into it. Not even my screams would bring him back to his senses.

I watched as Chase walked up to her and froze. I knew it was too late. He had fallen for it and I couldn't help him. These things were strong and had the ability to burn flesh and I knew I was no match for them, so I turned to my car quickly and drove away, all while crying uncontrollably.

It had been almost ten minutes and yet the tears kept falling. _We're dropping like flies. _I didn't even know whether House and Wilson had made it. I was always strong and independent, but after seeing Chase dragged away, I wasn't sure if I could do it by myself. I shook my head to shatter my doubts. I had to get a grip.

**Next Chapter: Blushing**


	16. Blushing

**I've never actually been to New York (though I would love to go), so a special thanks to Google Maps for helping me make this story accurate to the best of my ability! If I'm completely wrong, well then, use your imaginations.**

Chapter 16: Blushing

On a normal day (or night at this point), New York was merely a thirty to forty minute drive, but today it seemed like the whole state of New Jersey was evacuating. Even with House's _illegal_ swerving in and out of traffic, it was taking forever. Up until this point, we'd made it through the state without incident. Of course, our luck couldn't last.

Ahead of us was a blockade, which halted all traffic headed into the New York City limits by the Holland Tunnel. The Holland Tunnel was the only route across the Hudson River into New York on this side of Jersey City. In addition to that, there was something of a battle in front of it that consisted mostly of desperate humans trying to escape. I could barely see the chaos, but I could distinctly hear gunshots being fired above all the screams and cries. The shots appeared to be coming from both sides, but I somehow knew the humans were losing.

Traffic was stopped. Apparently humans were prohibited from entering the city and only those who passed inspection could make it through. House, realizing this, changed direction and moved in between traffic in a westward direction. He apparently knew the area well because soon enough we were on a seemingly deserted street. House suddenly parked, released himself from my grip, and slowly got of the bike. I didn't move and just sat and stared at him. His eyes were weary again and I was reminded how tired he was. He reached out his hand, palm up. I stared at it unsure as to what he wanted. "Provigil," he said quietly, fatigue evident in his voice. I quickly searched my pockets for the antibiotics and then handed them to House who immediately popped a couple into his mouth.

"Don't take too many. We don't need you any higher than usual." I quipped, but I knew how serious this was.

"I feel sorry for the man who stayed awake for eleven days. I would've shot myself by the fifth." He replied, his eyes glassy and dazed.

"The drugs should help," I offered hopefully.

"Have I mentioned you're an enabler? Maybe next time you should deal me some cocaine." I sighed.

"Sure, House, but I gave the last of it to Cuddy, so you'll have to wait." I joked lightly, but my eyes turned serious again as I noticed how House was barely processing my words.

"…Such a…badass drug dealer…" House mumbled, stumbling a bit. I reached forward and grabbed him, not wanting my crippled friend to fall on the street. I slowly got of the motorcycle, overly relieved that I'd survived the trip. Then I helped House to the curb where we both collapsed on the sidewalk. He laughed a bit, seemingly delirious. I hoped his behavior was only the sleep deprivation and not a symptom of the virus or perhaps the act of mixing it with Vicodin. House realized the worry in my eyes and his face turned serious. "I'm fine, James," he reassured me, his blue eyes sparkling and almost glowing in the dim light. My face didn't brighten because I had trouble believing him.

"How are we going to get past the city limits?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Hand me your phone." He replied. His eyes still had the same odd glow, which made him look…pretty. "Hey, Wilson! Phone!" He snapped in front of my face. He had caught me staring. I shook my head and dug through my pocket, retrieving my phone. House stole it from my hands and punched in the keys hurriedly. _The pills seem to be working, _I thought. _Maybe we can make it through this._ House waited impatiently until he shut the phone again. He was jittery by this point.

"What?" I asked fearing the worst.

"She probably left her phone in her purse. _Women and their purses_." He muttered with frustration. He reached down to his belt and unfastened his pager.

* * *

I nearly jumped out of my seat as I heard my pager go off. I immediately grabbed for it and read the message out loud to myself. "Blockade. Meet Provost St." I smiled happily when I saw that House and Wilson were okay. I racked my mind trying to remember where Provost Street was and then I changed lanes intending to avoid Newport Parkway. While trying to focus on the road, I hurried a quick reply to let them know I was coming.

* * *

House read the page out loud, "coming." He was doing this annoying twitchy thing with his hand, which was about to drive me over the edge.

"Seriously, House? How many of those pills did you take?" I snapped, grabbing his hand to stop the fidgeting.

"Well no need to be jealous. You can have some too if you want." He offered with a devilish smirk. I sighed in defeat. Our conversation reduced to silence as we waited for Cuddy. We were still sitting on the sidewalk, our backs against the wall of a building. After what felt like an hour, I finally spoke up.

"What do we do now?" I asked turning to my friend. I could only decipher his silver silhouette in moonlight. House was sitting with his legs stretched out on the pavement, his eyes closed, and head titled up at the sky. For a moment I panicked, thinking he was asleep, but then he turned to me and opened his brilliant blue eyes. The moonlight was coming from behind him, but in the position he was in, a small portion of that light reflected into his eyes making them sparkle even more. I suddenly wished I had eyes like that.

"James, I'm flattered by the attention, but you can stop staring." He said with a smirk. I looked away, my cheeks red with embarrassment after being caught staring…again. "You do know I can still see you blushing, right?" If possible, my cheeks got even redder at that comment as I realized that the moonlight was shining from behind House and was thus illuminating my every feature. I suddenly felt self-conscious and looked away. I could hear House laugh a little and I turned back to him quickly. His laugh wasn't a ha-ha-you're-blushing-like-a-girl laugh, but it was more like a it's-really-cute-when-you-blush-like-a-girl laugh. I didn't want to voice this observation on the off chance I was mistaken, so I kept quiet. House stopped laughing and turned back to me with a sincere smile. It was one of those rare smiles that very few people ever saw on the infamous diagnostician. Suddenly an awkward silence developed in which we both broke eye contact.

Only five minutes passed before I tried to ask the question again. This time I avoided his eyes, though the task seemed impossible. "What do we do now?"

House lifted his head and made eye contact again. "Make-out session?" He asked innocently. His tone made well and sure it was taken as a joke, but his eyes hinted at something else. I decided to ignore the glint in his eyes and continue the banter as always.

"So you're the one that started those rumors about me being gay!" I exclaimed with conviction. His smile widened slightly, but his eyes seemed oddly disappointed. My face transformed into that of confusion as he looked away. He started fidgeting again.

* * *

I tapped the wheel of my car impatiently. The cars were stopped in all directions. I kept glancing down at my watch, until I couldn't take it anymore. I wiped my face thoroughly clean in the mirror before stepping out of the vehicle. I looked around and noticed the dimly lit figures of some of the _monsters._ They were looking into cars with their flashlights in an attempt to root out the humans. I contained my emotions as I walked through the crowded street, trying to blend in. As I glanced at the other drivers I realized that some of them were human and some weren't and then there were those who were faking like myself. I recognized one of them when I saw a younger man whose face was impassive, but whose fidgety fingers gave him away. The man had golden hair and looked somewhat similar to Chase. This thought struck me to the heart, but I kept myself from breaking down.

I was going to walk on by, but instead I hurried to the man's car window. He nearly had a heart attack when he saw me, thinking I was the enemy, until I revealed the fear in my eyes. I signaled for him to roll down the window and he did. "Stop fidgeting. It will give you away. They're coming down the street and their checking who's who." I whispered. The man nodded.

"Thanks." He replied in a hushed tone, stopping his impatient fingers. He took a deep breath and focused on hiding his emotions. I did the same as I walked to the sidewalk bordering the right side, then I turned on what I knew to be 13th St. When I turned the corner I froze. A police officer and another man stood in front of me. I fought my urge to run and just remained still. I managed to contain my emotions, as the two men looked me over.

The man not in uniform decided to test me. "Good eve, Madam." He offered with a distinctly British accent. I had no doubts that they weren't human.

"Good evening, Sir." I replied coolly. My muscles tensed anxiously. I could only hope they didn't notice.

"You should keep of the roads. It's quite chaotic." The officer stated blatantly.

"Thanks for the advice, officer." I replied. I was surprised by my acting ability. They seemed convinced, until they started staring at my feet. I looked down at my bare feet. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed before. I vaguely recalled kicking my shoes off before making my escape from the men's locker room. It seemed so long ago, but it had only been this morning. I'd been on the run ever since and hadn't noticed my lack of footwear until now. My face revealed this shock for only a moment. Thankfully, the two men hadn't noticed because my head had been down. I quickly collected myself and looked up again. "Anything else, officer? Sir?" I asked politely trying to ignore the fact that I was shoeless. They returned my even gaze.

"Nothing else. Be safe, Madam." The Englishmen replied. The two men continued past me. I held in a sigh of relief as I started walking down the street. I kept walking for little under three hundred feet before turning right again along Provost St. The street was empty and quiet. The world darkened as the moon disappeared behind the clouds. I slowed my pace seeing as this street had no lights and I didn't want to step on glass or anything with my bare feet. As I walked silently, I could barely make out the shape of a motorcycle. I paused by the vehicle when I heard a barely audible yelp to my right. The area was completely dark and I was too scared to say anything, so I stood quietly hoping the moon would return. When it did, I was dumbfounded at what I saw.

**Cliffhanger! Ain't I evil?**


	17. The Sky Is Orange

Chapter 17: The Sky Is Orange

_Kissing_…the two men were kissing…my two friends were kissing…my two straight guy best friends were kissing. I kept repeating these words in my head over and over, but my mind refused to process it.

I could only imagine my shocked expression. My mouth was hanging open slightly and my eyes were probably wider than they'd ever been. I could feel my face turning as white as a ghost and my fingers were going numb along with my bare toes. My muscles had tensed and I gasped for air, but I couldn't manage to breath.

I have absolutely nothing against two men falling in love. I support gay rights completely. I just wish I had seen it coming, which I hadn't, because walking in on my **two straight guy best friends** **kissing** with absolutely no warning was enough to make me feel faint and question everything I'd assumed as the truth.

Is the sky really blue? Is my perception of the color blue different than everyone else's perception of the color blue? Is what I think is blue actually, in other people's eyes, orange? Is my best straight guy friend actually kissing my other best straight guy friend? **Is the infamous, egomaniacal, crippled, narcissistic, misanthropic pain in the ass diagnostician actually kissing the generous, compassionate, self-conscious, cute like a puppy, couldn't hurt a fly, renowned panty-peeler and go-to-oncologist?** Yes. Actually when you say it like that…they're perfect for each other.

Now that I had finally processed the fact that my **two not-so-straight guy best friends** **were** **kissing…**I was finally able to observe the kiss in it's entirety. It was timid at first, but it became passionate and tender and everything House wasn't and everything Wilson was; yet, to my surprise, it was obvious that House was the one pushing the kiss and it was Wilson who was reciprocating. It was, of course, the self-conscious Wilson who opened his eyes first and noticed the sudden audience. His chocolate brown eyes widened as he suddenly broke away from House's needy lips and pushed him away.

"_Holy shit,_" Wilson gasped, pure horror etched into his expression.

"Wha-?" House protested until he saw the shadow cast across Wilson's terrified face. He turned around slowly expecting the worst. For a brief moment, his eyes reflected the same fear as Wilson's, but it dissolved as soon as he recognized me. He actually sighed with relief. Based on Wilson's expression, he had expected the devil himself or, more likely, one of the 'monsters.' "If you want we can make it a threesome?" He offered with a devilish smirk. _Knowing House, if the devil was standing here right now he would have asked the same thing. _I felt the corners of my mouth rise in a gentle, understanding smile.

House didn't seem to mind my sudden presence. He actually seemed comforted knowing that he had someone to verify that the kiss had actually happened. Wilson, on the other hand, was frozen, his face growing paler and paler with each passing moment. House looked back at the man and gave him a smile. It was a real smile. Not a devilish I'm-so-evil-and-I-love-it smile, but a genuine, sincere I'm-really-happy-and-you-made-my-day smile and it was directed at Wilson and no one else. _No one else will ever see that smile._

* * *

Holyshitmylifeisruinedmybossmybossishereshesawsawmekisskissinghousehousegregikissedgreg… My mind was in chaos. My words were being jumbled together and my thoughts were colliding violently, so much so, I couldn't move or focus on anything. All I could feel was this primal panic, but at the same time, I was overwhelmed by this sudden paralysis, which thwarted my ability to do anything about it.

My mind couldn't even recall how I had reached this state. I remembered House fidgeting after his suggestion for a make-out session was taken non-too-seriously. I remembered my confused response to the disappointment that was blatantly established in his eyes. Then…I remembered the way he looked at me. Everything within him, every emotion that he'd felt the past day was written all over his face. I saw longing, desire, need, confusion, anticipation, and a tinge of fear, all crammed into one look. I remembered staring, not able to break eye contact for fear that it might kill us both. He gravitated towards me and I couldn't back away…and then it happened. He covered the distance in less than a second as he leaned forward and kissed me lightly. I vaguely remembered a yelp escaping my lips right before the impact. I was shocked, but…it wasn't bad. It made me feel funny…good. I liked it. I loved it and I didn't want to lose the feeling…ever. I shut my eyes and kissed back.

**Next Chapter: Pills**

**Personally, this is my favorite chapter because it was a lot of fun to write!**

**I have four more chapters already written and then I plan on wrapping this up.**


	18. Pills

Chapter 18: Pills

I looked at House who was smiling at me and then I turned to Cuddy who was also smiling. I did a double-take and then fought to organize my thoughts.

"You-you're smiling?" I stuttered slightly. The two nodded in unison. House's eyes reflected sheer amusement, but Cuddy had the good sense to offer a hand down to me. I reached out and took her hand, still shocked.

"Hey, what about me? I'm the cripple!" House argued with a frown. Cuddy rolled her eyes and obviously wanted to abandon him there on the pavement. "Hey, my boyfriend will help!" He exclaimed with a cheeky grin, extending a hand to me. I was taken back at the word _boyfriend_ and my eyes widened even more. Cuddy noticed how shaky and overwhelmed I was, and thankfully took my side. She walked over and smacked House right on the back of the head carefully avoiding the gash, before offering a hand to the diagnostician. House scowled at the punishment while rubbing a hand over his "_wound_." "What was that for?" He glowered. Cuddy smiled.

"That's for messing with Wilson. He just experienced a kiss from the infamous Gregory House. It's no surprise he's dazed." Her remark immediately shut House up in that unique way only Cuddy could achieve. I couldn't help, but chuckle at the absurd comment. "Now, I would love to hear all the juicy details, but I think we have to prioritize." She declared evenly. "How are we going to get past the blockade?"

House visibly pondered this question as he leaned back against the wall. While musing, he popped some more Vicodin along with a caffeine pill…or two. _Please say he only took one…_ I hoped, pleaded even. I was still pale and shaken, but I was starting to comprehend the situation. I still had unanswered questions surrounding the _kiss_, but I knew now was not the time to ask. House's expression was pensive as Cuddy and I just stared patiently.

"The problem is that we can't get through because of traffic. We could fake our way through the inspection, but we'd never be able to get a car to the front of the line any time soon." House paused. He began pacing restlessly. "We can't use the motorcycle cause it won't fit three people and we're not leaving anyone behind," he rushed hastily. _He took two. _I sighed and pinched the bridge of nose. Cuddy suddenly realized something.

"Wait…how many Vicodin did you just take?" She asked worriedly.

"One." He uttered quickly while still pacing.

"That wasn't one." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You're right. Ask Wilson. He's my own personal drug dealer." He remarked before returning to the current dilemma. _Of course he had to pin it on me._

"What'd you give him?" Cuddy asked incredulously. I flinched under her gaze.

"Provigil…to keep him awake." Cuddy smacked her hand to her head.

"Great. As if he wasn't high enough…" She muttered.

"That's exactly what I said." I replied.

"We'll steal the cop car." House broke in suddenly.

**Next Chapter: Ambush**


	19. Ambush

Chapter 19: Ambush

We both stared at him. I wasn't sure how many more surprises I could take before I stroked. My first surprise came when I realized House had stayed at the hospital all night without a patient, second was a freaked House ranting about people not being people, then came the Foreman thing and the fact that he was _burning_ House, next was the shock of possibly having killed Foreman, then the multiple escapes, close-calls, and captures, thinking I'd lost House, riding a motorcycle, House kissing me and being caught by Cuddy, and now House proposing we steal a cop car. _This has been one hell of a day._

"Don't stare at me like that! I'm serious and no it's not a result of the drugs." House argued. He finally stopped pacing and stood relatively still as in his feet weren't moving, but his hands wouldn't stop fidgeting.

"House, we can't steal-" Cuddy attempted to reason with him, _but has that ever worked?_

"At the front of the tunnel you can see the lights from those police cars. I bet you at least one of them is abandoned at the moment. I'll ambush the guard and take his keys and then we jump in and make a get away. Actually, this sounds like a Foreman kinda job. Now do you feel bad for killing him?" He ranted again. Every part his body, apart from his feet, was moving.

"I didn't kill him!" I countered, but I had no actual proof. I could only hope he was still alive. It had been a hard blow to the head. "And since when do you know anything about ambushing cops?" I asked with fake suspicion.

"Where do you think I got my street cred?" He responded swiftly. "Now it's our only choice, short of ditching little Jimmy here."

"Hey! Cripple gets ditched before beauty!" He smiled at this.

"It's brains before beauty, you nitwit." I rolled my eyes. "Well seeing as we all agree with _my_ plan, considering they've worked out so well in the past, you'll need to hide your emotions until I ambush the cop."

"How exactly do you plan on _ambushing_ a cop? Does this involve smashing his head with a rock?" Cuddy asked with amusement.

"Oh come on, I have more tact than that!" House replied with mock hurt.

"We'd better get going." Cuddy added with a resigned sigh. There really were no other options, so we had to trust that House's plan would work. House slowly limped to his motorcycle and pulled the key from the ignition. He patted the seat sentimentally and then turned away and limped down the street with Cuddy and I in tow.

The walk to the front of traffic was uneventful. We stayed along the right sidewalk as we made our way to the tunnel. It was surprisingly difficult to keep my emotions to myself. House noticed this and couldn't help, but poke fun, "You're such a girl." I fought the urge to frown at this comment.

"Well, you have no emotions." I knew it was a lame comeback, but all my attention was focused on making my face impassive. I started to get the hang of it by the time we were nearing the front of the line. I just hoped no one would jump out at me. Needless to say, I was growing more and more paranoid by the second. House and Cuddy seemed to have a natural gift for hiding their emotions. I guess they've both had considerable practice. House paused and turned to me, a brief glint of concern flashed across his eyes. He then glanced at Cuddy.

"Get in front of him." He ordered trained indifference hid the undertone of worry.

"Why?" I asked. I thought I was doing a pretty good job by this point, so I was disappointed that he didn't trust me.

"You're sweating. They don't do that." He replied seriously. I moved my hand up to my face and could feel the wetness. I used my sleeve to wipe most of it off, but I stayed behind Cuddy nonetheless.

After another five minutes of walking at the only pace House could handle, we made it to the front of the traffic jam. A group of guards walked amongst the cars and checked them thoroughly for any intruders. House moved up against a brick wall to our right and Cuddy and I followed. We were hidden in the shadows as House pondered our next move. I glanced at my watch and noticed it was three in the morning. I was starting to fade despite my two hour nap in the janitor's closet…_with Chase._ I shook my head and popped a pill to keep my focus.

House suddenly pointed at one of the squad cars and then made sure we saw it. The officer who owned that car was standing by it, talking on his walkie-talkie. He looked Hispanic and was obviously a younger rookie trusted with watching the car. I began to get restless, but I couldn't be sure whether it was the pills or the absurd idea that we, three doctors from Princeton, were going to steal a cop car. House signaled for us to wait as he walked up to the man. I tried to follow, but Cuddy pulled me back.

House walked right up beside the man, which confused me. _I thought he was going to smash his head in like Cuddy said. I should have known better than to think House would do it the easy way. _

"Good evening, officer." House said politely. The courtesy in his voice made me shudder. House polite was actually scary. House waved his hand behind his back. Cuddy recognized the signal and made a dash for the car. I followed not wanting to be left behind "I believe someone is stealing your car." House said, calmly. The man turned around indifferently and that's when House used all his weight to shove him to the ground. I'm not sure how he managed to keep his balance considering he didn't have a cane. The man, unprepared, fell face first on the floor. House immediately got down to his knees, which was no easy task for a cripple, and grabbed the man's gun before he could return the blow. House pointed the gun at the man's head. The officer didn't flinch, but at least he didn't struggle. Self-preservation wasn't an emotion, but a necessity. House rummaged through the man's pockets until he pulled out his keys. He pressed the unlock button, while managing to get to his feet, gun still pointed at the man. We realized that we were drawing attention and a group of other monsters were headed our way. House limped painfully to the car and quickly got into the driver's seat. Cuddy grabbed shotgun and I was stuck in the back…again. House slammed the gas and blasted through the barriers and down the Holland Tunnel.

**Next Chapter: Confessions**

**Important Notice: My computer crashed so there may be a delay in updates until I replace my hard drive.**


	20. Confessions

**Sorry for a really short chapter, but my computer crashed and I lost all my chapters. I just got my laptop back yesterday and I haven't had time to rewrite them.  
**

**I should be writing more next weekend and don't worry, I haven't forgotten this fic!**

Chapter 20: Confessions

"Why'd you kiss me?" I finally blurted out. Conversation had reduced to an eerie silence after we had run the blockade, but my curiosity was pushing its limits. I saw House cringe slightly as if he had been dreading the question while Cuddy glanced at me out of the corner of her eye before returning her gaze to the road.

"Don't you think we should talk about this later?" He eluded, but I wasn't going to back down.

"No. We need to talk about this now. They could have an army up on the other side for all we know and I need to know before-if anything…happens." I watched House's reaction in the rearview mirror. He was looking for a suitable answer that would satisfy my curiosity. He didn't find one.

"I kissed you cause I wanted to." He said obviously unsatisfied with his own pitiful excuse. I frowned. "Now where is the switch to turn on the headlights?" He pondered out loud as he searched the control panel.

"Nice try. Stop evading and just tell me." I stated calmly.

"How bout you shut up? I'm driving, so I can kill us!" He warned, but he knew I had the upper-hand. House sighed, his expression that of defeat. "What do you want me to say?" He asked weakly.

"I want you to tell the truth!" I exclaimed, curious as to why he wouldn't tell me.

"Well why'd you kiss me back?" He evaded while trying to shove the pressure onto me.

"Just tell me House. It's a simple question. It's not like I'm asking you to explain the meaning of life," I took a breath to calm myself, "I just want to know why you kissed me." Cuddy just sat there in the middle, bewildered.

"Life has no meaning," he mumbled. He looked up into the rearview mirror and made eye contact briefly before casting his gaze out the window. His cheeks were visibly red.

"You like me?" I stated more as a statement than a question.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I _only_ _liked _you." He muttered. My eyes widened at his answer. I began to rub the back of my neck nervously.

"Wait…so…y-you _love _me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Love is such a strong word…" House said, turning his eyes back to the mirror, "so…yeah I love you." He hurried anxiously, but his eyes watched my reflection intently. I tensed under his gaze. He broke eye contact and the silence returned. _He __**loves**__ me._

**Next Chapter: Eavesdropping**

**Also...**

** HOUSE M.D. IS RETURNING! YAY! I CAN'T WAIT! **


	21. Eavesdropping

Chapter 21: Eavesdropping

_The infamous Gregory House loves me._ The neurons in my brain were firing like crazy. I could feel them pulsing…or maybe that was just the throbbing headache that had developed. I wasn't sure what to do or say and my whole being was thrown into a state of confusion. I visibly cringed and rubbed my head in a pitiful attempt to ward off the pain. I was freaking _a bit_, but in addition to everything else I was actually worried I would stroke. I knew House wanted me to say something, but I couldn't think. I couldn't process his feelings let alone mine. Both Cuddy and House noticed my state of confusion. Cuddy glared at House who gave her an innocent I-didn't-do-it look. Her gaze didn't falter. House sighed and looked into the rearview mirror again. "I don't actually expect you to say anything." House began. "I think that was the tenth bomb I've dropped on you today, so it's normal to be a little freaked." I didn't understand his point. "What I'm trying to say is that I don't expect anything from you. Whatever you're going to say, you can tell me later, okay?" His words were actually comforting.

"Okay." I croaked out weakly. I relaxed a little and suddenly felt exhausted. The pills were already wearing off and I began to drift to sleep. I stretched out on the backseat with my eyes closed, but I was still vaguely conscious when Cuddy's voice broke through my daze.

"How long?" She asked. I kept my eyes shut as I eavesdropped on their conversation.

"How long what?" House replied, seemingly oblivious to her question.

"How long have you…_loved _Wilson?" Cuddy asked again in a hushed tone so as not to wake me.

"Here we go…women and their need to hook people up. It really isn't your business anyways." House replied.

"You made it my business when I caught you kissing him on an abandoned street at three in the morning." Cuddy replied louder, accepting that I was asleep.

"I didn't make you catch us." He countered cleverly.

"You know as well as I do that I'm going to get my way, so will you just answer the question?" She stressed forcefully.

"I don't know. I guess a…year or two?" House answered indifferently.

"Y-you've _loved_ Wilson for years and you didn't tell him until now?"

"Hey, look who's talking. You still haven't confessed your love for me!"

"House, I don't love you. I just can't believe you kept this whole thing a secret this long!" She exclaimed without hesitation.

"What? That I'm gay?" I withheld any reaction to this comment.

"You're gay?" Cuddy asked in disbelief, as if the idea was impossible.

"Well, bisexual. Same difference." House continued nonchalantly.

"House…" Cuddy warned.

"Do you think…do you think he'll hate me?" House cut in, uncertainly. I was tempted to respond, but instead remained silent. "I mean…if he doesn't feel the same way then…is our friendship over? I mean it's always been really screwed up, but this…this could just be the tipping point…this could-" He ranted nervously.

"I've never considered you a man for the 'what ifs.' James isn't going to abandon you." Cuddy replied. Her tone was comforting, but not too over the top. _She always knows how to handle House best. _House stayed quiet…for once. I finally drifted to sleep.

_I'm not going to abandon you._

**Next Chapter: Saving the World**

**A special thanks to Bloody Koalas who has been reviewing consistently since the beginning! Thank you, everyone, for the reviews!**

**I'm still working on wrapping this up so please be patient. :)**


	22. Saving the World

**Here's a long chapter to make up for all the short ones.**

Chapter 22: Saving the World

"Wilson," a soft voice broke through my tranquil sleep, accompanied by a feminine hand on my shoulder. I refused to acknowledge the voice and instead kept my eyes firmly closed as I tried desperately to drift back to sleep.

"Wilson! We're surrounded and they're about to sacrifice Cuddy!" House yelled in panic, startling me wide-awake. I shot up from my lying position in the back of the police car and inadvertently bumped heads with Cuddy, who had been shaking me when House had interrupted. We both yelped in unison as I quickly drew my hand to the sudden throbbing in my head. Behind her I detected a haughty laugh. Cuddy, who was also tending to her wound, turned on him quickly and for a moment I feared for his life. I wasn't too worried though…after all, my head hurt like hell from his little prank.

House stopped laughing immediately on seeing her glare and feigned innocence as he focused his gaze elsewhere. Cuddy decided now was not the best time to exact revenge…she could wait. My boss turned to me, her eyes brimming with concern, "are you okay?"

"Swell." I replied sarcastically with a slight grimace as I began to massage my temples. "What the hell, House…" I grumbled as I clenched my teeth to ward of the pain.

"Stop snoozing during the apocalypse and maybe I'll cut you some slack." House managed to counter, but it took him considerable effort and his voice lacked its normally lively and critical air. Cuddy stood up and stepped away from the car. I tried to follow promptly, but somehow tripped in my sleepy daze and fell onto the pavement in one swift movement. I lay there for a few seconds before slowly rolling over to face the sky. I had to squint in the blinding sunlight and I was alarmed at how long I must've slept. Two shadowy figures appeared and stared down at me. They blocked out the light, so my eyes could focus. House's eyebrows were raised in amusement, while Cuddy's expression was that of worry. "Aw…our little knight in shining armor is on his way to save the world!" He teased.

"Just help me up." I ignored his ridicule and extended my hand upward. House looked at it like it was infected with a flesh-eating disease, so it was Cuddy who took the initiative to help me up. I gave her a grateful smile before rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

I finally focused on my surroundings and found that we were in the middle of an abandoned parking lot. It was eerily quite for New York, but if I really listened I could vaguely hear distant traffic. _Where is everybody?_ I looked at my watch and found it was 7 in the morning.

My mind suddenly recalled the events of the past two days and I felt myself panic slightly, but I kept it to myself in hopes of not looking like more of a screw-up: first painfully banging heads with my boss and then tripping clumsily on the car door. _This day is already off to a bad start…_

Then there is the whole 'my best friend loves me thing' that I keep pushing to the back of my mind. _One thing at a time…_

Speaking of said friend…he looked, if possible, even more exhausted than before. I must've thought this a million times over the last 24 hours, but I meant it every time. He looked like he might collapse at any moment and I had no idea how he was still standing, especially without his cane. I had to give him credit for being so invulnerable, but I guess all those years of being in constant pain have helped him to be fairly strong, but I was still very worried, as was Cuddy.

"You look like crap." I said matter-of-factly as a means of expressing my concern in a way that House would understand. He smiled weakly, but didn't reply. Instead he moved so that he could lean against the car. I knew that this meant his leg was giving him hell and he didn't want me to know…otherwise he would have downed a Vicodin.

I was suddenly overwhelmed by guilt. _I've been sleeping peacefully for hours while House is being forced to stay awake. _Apparently my contrition showed because House quickly frowned.

"Oh don't get all guilty and caring." He snapped, visibly irritable. "I've stayed awake much longer than this in med school. I'm fine."

"The more you say that, the less convinced I am." I retorted sadly, avoiding his eyes. "How many caffeine pills do you have left?"

"Well you certainly don't need any." He quickly replied. _Shit…he's running low…_ "I. Am. Fine." He reiterated, clearly annoyed. "That goes for you too." He directed at Cuddy. She chose to stay out of it and instead changed the subject.

"There's a huge congregation of people four or five blocks down the street, but everywhere else is practically deserted. We pulled in here seeing as they have a warrant out on our vehicle." She said, mostly to me.

"In other words, the boss lady is making the cripple walk another block to get to this disease place thingy." He said, staring intently at his shoes as if he found them utterly fascinating. Cuddy rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored him. They'd obviously been arguing this for quite a while and, unsurprisingly, Cuddy had come out victorious.

"So…the whole of New York is at one huge meeting? What are they doing?" I asked curiously. I wasn't sure I really wanted to know.

"Creepy alien stuff I'm sure…probably plotting world domination or something. What does it matter?" House countered quickly. He tapped his foot impatiently. _He's going to have a heart attack if he keeps eating those pills like candy…and then mixing them with Vicodin…_

"We shouldn't meet any trouble goin-" Cuddy began. House quickly reached over and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Don't jinx us!" He squealed, mocking a child. Cuddy shoved his hand away impatiently.

"Don't forget you have no cane to protect you and I have no morals when it comes to beating up obnoxious cripples." She frowned and House simply smiled at her threat.

"Who has the blood?" I asked suddenly. It felt like it'd been so long since this whole mess had started.

"I do." Cuddy answered quickly, pulling the vial from somewhere on her person.

"Do you know which way we need to go?" I asked just to make sure.

"North."

"Are you sure?"

"You better hope so." She replied, annoyed by my insecurity. She turned and headed for the sidewalk and House and I followed. House glanced back anxiously at the abandoned cop car.

"Can't we…?" He pleaded, but Cuddy anticipated his question.

"No," she sighed. He didn't want to walk and with good reason, but they had to get rid of that car somewhere.

"But no one…" He argued, but Cuddy wasn't going to fold.

"No, House. It's not far." She assured him. The streets were empty and the chance of being seen seemed remote, but it wasn't worth the risk.

"Easy for you to say." He sulked. He didn't bother hiding his emotions, knowing no one was around to see and Cuddy was just being a pain.

"I can make Wilson carry you." She offered with a smirk, briefly glancing back at the two doctors.

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" I reacted promptly, my hands raised in my defense.

"Ha, ha." House pretended to laugh. "It's not _that_ bad."

"I thought you _loved _him." She countered, stressing the _loved_. He'd fallen into her trap.

"Damn…" House cursed thoroughly annoyed, "must you make this awkward?"

"I actually agree with House." I broke in.

"See, now you two can come together and conspire against me." She smiled devilishly as she continued walking. _She wants us together?_ House and I shared a look before I was compelled to comment.

"I will never understand the female mind."

"It took you three marriages to figure that out?" House questioned with a smirk. Somehow he could turn anything I said into something of an insult.

"Well at least I tried." I shrugged indifferently. I had no interest in discussing my ex-wives. _I wonder what they're doing right now…_

"Yeah, hence why I like guys." House added. I was still not accustomed to that idea and it seemed to surprise me every time.

"Can we _not_ talk about this?" I asked hopefully. I didn't actually expect him to listen so I was pleasantly surprised that he let the topic go…for now.

"Fine, but we _will _eventually talk about this." He stressed with a hint of seriousness.

"Yeah." I replied absent-mindedly.

"Soon?" He asked with a purposefully annoying smile.

"Stop pressuring." I ordered lightly. "I have to save the world first!" I joked.

"If anyone's saving the world, it's me and considering your heroic display getting out of the car…I highly doubt you can even qualify." He quipped.

"No." Cuddy interrupted. "Wilson's too nice and you're too lazy. If they make a movie then I'll definitely be the star and you two can be my sidekicks." I laughed a little at this while House frowned indignantly.

Cuddy turned to the left and quietly entered one of the buildings, which I assumed was our destination. The lobby was silent and only our footsteps could be heard on the tile. Cuddy led us to the elevators, pressed the button for the 16th floor, and then we all hurried on. We stood in silence and I soon found myself swaying slightly to the irritating elevator music. Cuddy suddenly spoke up, "I told you we shouldn't meet any trouble."

"Yes…great deduction, but couldn't we bring the car if you knew no one would see us?" House narrowed his eyes at Cuddy.

"Stop complaining. We're here." The 15th floor button lit up above the door. A sudden feeling of foreboding captured my senses and I braced myself. I felt paranoid…and I only realized why two seconds before the doors opened.

"Weren't we going to the 16th floor?" I asked in a panic as the doors opened. A woman and a man stood in front of us. House quickly made a move to close the doors, but the man reached forward and stopped the doors from closing. I instinctively pulled Cuddy toward the corner of the elevator to avoid the imminent fight. House readied himself to throw a punch, when the man suddenly brought his hands forward defensively.

"We're human!" He exclaimed and House lowered his hand to his side after seeing the pleading look in the man's hazel eyes. Actually now that I looked at him properly, he appeared fidgety and nervous, and was definitely human. He was considerably smaller than House and was wearing a lab coat with the name 'Marcel' stitched on the pocket. He was a younger man, probably in his twenties. He had a couple bruises on his pale face, his dark hair was short and messy, and he wore a pair of thin broken glasses. I then turned my attention to the woman. She looked Japanese and seemed around my age, maybe older. Her eyes were a very dark brown so that her pupils could barely be seen. They both looked terrified, but relieved to have met other humans.

"Dr. Marcel? What are you doing here?" Cuddy asked incredulously, pulling in front of me so that she could see him properly.

"Dr. Cuddy! I'm so glad you made it and you must be Dr. House and Dr. Wilson." Marcel said excitedly. He then stepped onto the elevator with the other woman. I shared a look with House who looked just as confused as I was. "I wasn't sure you were going to make it." He turned to us eagerly.

"You were expecting us?" I asked, bemused. He smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Did you bring the blood sample?" He questioned hopefully.

"How the hell did you know we were coming and _who are you_?" House asked impatiently, refusing to answer his question.

"He's an intern at Princeton Plainsboro," Cuddy answered for him, "but what are you doing here and how do you know about the blood?" She questioned. The elevator opened to the 16th floor before he could answer. Marcel and the Japanese woman stepped off first. We followed them off the elevator and down the hall to one of the offices near the end. Marcel opened the door wide and we were all utterly shocked at who we saw.

**Next Chapter: Fold**


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